A Secret Storm
by LabRats89
Summary: What if something bad was happening in your household, happening right under your nose, but you never even notice it. What happens when it's the person you trust, with your child, who is the one lashing out? Tragedy strikes the Cullen family.
1. I Love You, Edward

_**A/N: This story stirred in my head after listening to the Celine Dion song called "Fly". I HIGHLY recommend you listen to this song while reading this story. It REALLY sets the mood…**_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TWILIGHT Saga. That belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

_***** WARNING: This story contains child abuse… Mild as it may be, if you cannot stomach this sort of material DO NOT read.*****_

**Chapter One – I Love You, Edward**

Everyone had left the burial ground thirty minutes ago, my parents taking my surviving children with them. God, how could this have happened? Why didn't I catch her in the act sooner? Edward never spoke a word about it, nor Emmett or Alice. How could I have been so ignorant and believed Maria's lies?

"_What happened to him? Why does Edward have such a large bruise on his cheek?"_

"_The school nurse called again, Carlisle. Recess accident. Edward and another child were racing to the jungle gym and Edward fell, catching his face on the edge of the pole."_

_I winced at the deep purple bruise on his cheek, "That must hurt like hell," I mumbled._

Or there was that time when Edward's back was all scraped up and he was brought to the emergency room with a broken arm.

"_Maria, what happened to him?" I asked in panic when I saw the terrible state my three-year-old son was in._

_My pregnant wife adjusted our one-year-old son in her arms and replied, "Edward wanted to be the good big brother and help push Emmett's stroller. I didn't see anything wrong with it but I noticed too late the hill that he began to go down. The momentum of speed the stroller picked up caused Edward to fall and the stroller dragged him down the pavement. He's got a lot of scratches on his back now. And when his arm smacked the ground I heard a snapping sound and realized he had broken it."_

_I looked at my battered son in my arms and gave him a gentle hug avoiding his back and broken limb before carrying him into an exam room and began patching him up._

The lies that my former wife, who was now an inmate at Seattle State Female Penitentiary, had made were realistic and made absolute sense at the times she told them. But after what I witnessed three nights ago when I got home from my shift at the hospital I would never forget in my lifetime.

_I was walking up the sidewalk that led to our side door entrance when I heard Emmett screaming for Maria to stop and heard Alice's cries of sheer panic. I hastily opened the door and the metallic smell of blood filled my nostrils. I saw Emmett crouched behind the small sofa pressed against the wall shielding Alice; Emmett was staring towards the dining room, unblinking. I ran to my children to check on them._

"_Alice, are you okay?" I asked gently._

"_Daddy, Edward hurt."_

_My mind froze in fear… Edward was hurt? Where was Maria?_

"_Emmett, are you okay?" _

"_Yes. Daddy, go help Eddie."_

_I gripped my son's shoulders gently and asked urgently, "Where's your mommy?"_

_Emmett held his small arm up and shakily pointed his finger toward the dining room. I glanced in that direction but no one was there._

"_Did someone hurt mommy and Edward?"_

_I watched my son shake his head. _

_I was growing impatient, my fear for my wife and son growing steadily._

"_Emmett, talk to me. Tell me what is going on!"_

_My four-year-old failed to respond but my two-year-old daughter did, "Mommy hurted Eddie bad."_

_I felt my throat close up. "Stay here," I croaked to my children as I got up quickly and made my way quickly through the dining room. They weren't in the family room either. But what I heard next made my terror smother my heart._

"_You little bastard! How long does it take you to die?" My wife's vicious words were venomous and a loud crack followed after. _

_I heard the slightest whimper that came from my little boy as he whispered wetly – I knew his lungs were probably filled with blood –, "Stop… pease."_

_I found myself quickly climbing the stairs, skipping steps in between, as I heard my enraged wife's words, "You should never have been born! I knew you were a mistake back then but no – I had to go and listen to your daddy beg me to keep you. I loved your daddy so I only kept you alive for __**him**__." I heard another crack and as I grew closer to my son's room I heard him softly cry out. "You have made my life hell, kid! You are an ungrateful brat. You are a mistake… a waste of human air. You deserve no one. And believe me when I say this… no one loves you, not even __**daddy**__."_

_I reached her and tackled her to the ground. She had just the bat raised but I stopped her before she could strike my son again. I believed firmly never to strike a woman, but Maria was no woman; she was a monster. So I swung my fist back and knocked her out cold. I quickly turned and ran to my son's side. He was unconscious. Four of his teeth were scattered and crunched on the floor, his clothes were ripped and bloody. His ribs, from what was visible through the tattered shirt, were caved in as were his cheekbones on his face. Several sets of bruises lined the rest of his body. I was surprised he stayed conscious for as long as he had… As I placed two fingers on his neck to check for a pulse, I prayed to the Lord that my son was still alive… I needed Edward to know how much I loved him. I didn't want the last thing he heard from his vile mother to be a lie, that I didn't love him… that was ludicrous. But my prayer went unanswered as I felt no pulse beneath my finger tips. _

_I felt the tears pouring from my eyes as I hugged my son's body close to mine and cried for the life Maria had cheated Edward of having. The horror that I had married such a cold-hearted woman frightened me. What was I supposed to tell Emmett and Alice? How was I going to get pass my son's murder? By the hands of his own mother…_

I remembered praying one last time to God before I laid Edward gently down on his bed and pulled the covers up to make it appear as if he were just sleeping… I had asked God to give me the strength it took to come up with a solution for what I would tell my surviving children. When I felt the guidance I needed after praying, I walked downstairs to inform my children of their brother's death.

_I tied my unconscious wife up to a chair and called the police and they were on their way here. After placing a kiss on Edward's bloody forehead, I closed the door behind and headed down to the family room. My babies were still in the same position they had been in when I left them. I gently picked Alice up and instructed Emmett to follow me. Emmett sat on the couch with Alice beside him as I knelt down on my knees so I could be eye-level with them._

"_Daddy, is Edward okay now?"_

"_Is momma not mad?"_

_I sighed at the instantaneous questions my children asked me. I took each of their hands in mind and asked gently, "Do you guys remember the story about Heaven?"_

"_Sky home?" asked my daughter._

"_Yes, Alice. Our sky home…"_

"_Why, daddy? Who's in Heaven?"_

_I sighed, realizing I had to get this over with, "Do you remember why a child goes to Heaven?"_

"_Because the child's hurt and no one can save him." I saw as realization dawned in my son's eyes. He asked me bravely, "Daddy, is Edward is Heaven?"_

"_Yes, buddy. Edward was hurting because mommy hurt him badly. God brought him to safety in his sky home."_

"_When can we go visit him?"_

"_Emmett, we won't be seeing Edward for a long time, I'm afraid."_

_Tears filled my little boy's eyes and I pulled him into a hug rubbing circles on his back, "Shh, its okay, buddy. It's okay to cry. You miss your brother."_

"_Is it okay to be very sad," he sniffed, trying to hold back his tears._

_My hear t went out to him, "Yes, Emmett. It is always okay to feel sad."_

"_Daddy?"_

"_Yeah, Ali?"_

"_I want mommy!" Her lips trembled as she began to cry._

"_Mommy's going to jail, dummy! She hurted Edward!"_

_I was shocked to hear my little boy yell at his sister but at least I knew Emmett understood he would not be seeing his mother again._

"_No mommy?" questioned my daughter._

"_No mommy. She hurt Edward. So she's going away on a very long time-out." I tried explaining to her on a level she would understand._

_I pulled her into my arms also and just held my children as they cried. As I thought of my deceased baby boy upstairs, a few tears trickled from my eyes as well… the mourning had only just begun._

Now all that was left of my firstborn son was the mahogany casket that his body lay in, with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers laid on top with a cherry-wooden frame set in the middle. The picture was a close-up shot of Edward's innocent face. It was his Easter portrait that had been taken two months prior to his murder. I, unconsciously, ran my hand down his rosy cheeks that were lit up from the beaming, crooked smiled that was frozen in the picture. Now, as I gazed into his innocent, content eyes, I realized if I looked deep enough I could see the dark burden he was carrying, keeping hidden from me. How could Maria have hurt this sweet, innocent child and felt no remorse in doing so? She had admitted, yesterday in court, of killing him cold-bloodedly and did not plead temporary insanity. She still believed Edward should never have been born and was a mistake; she was content with herself for what she believed… that she had rid the world of an unnecessary burden: Edward Anthony Cullen.

"Edward, my little man…" I felt the tears forming in my eyes and felt my throat tighten, "I am so sorry I was so blind. I have no idea how I could believe the lies your mother told me about how you got injured. I guess I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that your own mother would be the one hurting you." The tears were now blurring my vision and I allowed them to fall, feeling defeated. "Edward, you are my little miracle. If you can hear me up in Heaven, believe me when I say this, you were never a mistake. You were daddy's gift… my blessing from God. He allowed me to realize how wonderful life could be when a child is a part of it. I might have only been nineteen when you were born, Eddie, but I would never turn back time." I started to cry out and my breaths became ragged, "Don't believe what your mom said, Edward… I always wanted you and you deserved me in your life along with Emmett and Alice. I loved you from the second I knew you were a tiny embryo and my love only grew for you as I watched you grow." My tears finally stopped and I took a few deep breaths to even my breathing, "Edward, I am so sorry for the pain mommy inflicted on you. If I'd known I would have stopped her. I will live with that regret and guilt for the rest of my life. But remember son, I will love you for always and remember you forever." I wiped the tear stains off my cheeks and kissed my fingers and placed them on the casket. Then I bent down and hugged the casket and kissed it once, "I love you, Edward."

I walked away from my son's casket with my hands in my pockets, my head lowered, and without a glance back I continued to my car in the parking lot and headed home to my children who needed me now more than ever. 

_**A/N: So I have a plan for two more chapters. The second chapter would be of Carlisle, years down the road, reflecting over the success in his children's lives and the devastation of never seeing Edward achieve. The third chapter would be of Emmett and Alice, right after college graduation, reading a journal they found that their father wrote and visiting Edward's grave for the first time.**_

_If you're interested in see these chapters come to life, then it all depends on you to make it happen. How can you make it happen????_

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

_**(The more reviews I get… the better motivated I will be to write the next chapter!) **_


	2. Discovering Where I Went Wrong

_**A/N: Thanks for the SUPPORT so far guys! It means a lot! Please keep those REVIEWS coming!!!**_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TWILIGHT Saga. That belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

_***** WARNING: This story contains child abuse… Mild as it may be, if you cannot stomach this sort of material DO NOT read.*****_

**Chapter Two – Discovering Where I Went Wrong**

_**---Carlisle's POV---**_

_-June 20, 1987-_

_I never felt such pride and joy until I held my baby boy for the first time in that hospital room. My wife was asleep in the hospital bed as I stood holding the tiny baby wrapped in a soft blue blanket in my arms. When I first saw him cleaned up after his birth I had to laugh, my son already had a full set of hair, the most bronze hair I'd ever seen. It also had a natural wave to it. My son had yet to open his eyes for me as I held him; I was desperate to see what color his eyes were. When he was born and the doctors performed the natural duties every baby goes through after birth, Edward had screamed and cried but he stubbornly kept those eyes of his squeezed shut. Now I stood by the window as twilight crept in upon us, rocking my son gently in my arms, studying every feature in his angelic face just reveling in the amazement I felt being a new father._

_Ever so softly I felt a nudge against my arm and looked down. I noticed that Edward was stretching his legs out against the blanket that kept them imprisoned. I heard a quiet grunt of frustration and watched as my son's eyes fluttered and opened slowly. As his eyes met mine I felt my heart skip a beat. Finally, there was a connection between me and my son. And he had the most gorgeous eyes a child could have; they were emerald green and ever so bright, reminding me of a marble. This child I held possessed indescribable beauty in physical appearance. He would break a lot of daddies' hearts one day… Edward continued to stare at me and a small crooked grin appeared on his lips as his eyes brightened even more. At that moment my heart began beating erratically – how could I have created a child this beautiful, so innocent? I knew in that instant that Edward was my little miracle. I would never let harm come his way and I would always love him unconditionally._

_As I softly planted a kiss upon his angelic lips, I whispered, "Welcome to the world, my son."_

I should have known that month after he was born that Maria regretted having him… She refused to hold Edward, never even acknowledging him. It was, I, who got up in the ungodly hours of the middle of the night to tend to our son's needs. I guess I should just be thankful she _took_ care of him during the day while I worked my hospital shifts. The doctors had said Maria was suffering from post partum depression. HA! I wish that would have been the case… but it certainly wasn't. But all those nights Maria refused to tend to Edward only helped the bond between my son and I form, and I would forever cherish that bond.

_-December 23, 1987-_

_The hospital had been busy with patients, non-stop: sledding accidents, wreckless drivers causing car accidents, and people with the flu bug going round. I only had two hours left of my shift before I was to go to the mall to finish picking up Edward's Christmas presents. My son was now six months old and learning to sit up by himself, I was so darn proud of my little guy. He was growing up so quickly but I couldn't help but smile and praise him at his achievements, futile as they may be. For Edward, each small achievement became a milestone in his childhood. However, my son was also teething. His first tooth had popped out yesterday but he had two more that were to pop out any day now, so days and nights were filled with hysterical crying from the pain he felt in his mouth. My wife was giving up with her patience around Edward right now. She told me that no infant orajel, chew toy, or rubbing of his gums worked so she decided to just set him in his swing and let him cry since nothing seemed to comfort him. I had a hard time accepting this, for when I got home in the evenings and cradled my screaming son to my chest and gently soothed him, his cries would stop and he'd fall asleep to my finger rubbing his inflamed gums. I just figured it was daddy's job to get Edward through his teething phase._

_I was just about to go on break when I was paged to the front desk. I walked over and my colleague pulled me aside._

"_What's up, Trace?" I asked the elder resident, Dr. Trace Jameson. He had been a doctor here in this hospital for over twenty years and counting._

"_Carlisle, your wife just came in with your son. They're in exam room four."_

"_What's wrong? Are they okay?" I felt my adrenaline rushing in fear._

_Trace shook his head, "Calm down, it's nothing serious. Your wife was changing your son and turned her back for a second and he rolled off the changing table. I've done an x-ray, he has a slight fracture. I'm thinking three weeks of his arm in a cast and then Edward will be as good as new."_

_I nodded and quickly headed to the exam room. My fear subsided when I saw my son asleep in my wife's arm, his tiny right arm supported in a splint until Trace fitted it in a cast._

"_How did he fall?" I asked Maria as I sat down in the chair beside her._

"_I dropped the new diaper I was putting on him and I bent down to pick it up. He must have tried to pull himself into a sitting position because when I caught him as he tumbled off the ledge he was in fetal position."_

_I looked at her wearily, "If you caught him, how did his arm break?"_

"_It made contact with changing table and I guess the force broke his bone."_

_I shook my head, "Please, Maria, be more cautious next time. You know how fragile a baby is…"_

_She rolled her eyes at me, "I know that, Carlisle. God! I just made a mistake, excuse me for not being perfect!"_

_Anger rose in my chest at her sarcasm, "Mistake or not, it caused our son a broken arm. Just be more aware next time. That's all I'm asking."_

It was memories like this one that made me want to kick myself in the ass. How could I believe her lies? Yes, I know accidents with babies falling off their changing tables do occur, but Maria was a child abuser; I witnessed that first hand, what did she do to that child to make him break his arm at six months old? I could guess, but I'd never know…

_-May 11, 1988-_

_Yesterday, the day before Maria's first Mother's Day celebration, we found out the most glorious of news… she was three months along with another baby. We would be having another child in November. We were both ecstatic! We had started Edward in daycare when he turned eight months old and now Maria was in school majoring in Applied Behavioral Science, studying to be a social worker. Her school day ended around five in the evening and she would pick Edward up at six. I got off at six-thirty and was home by seven. Now, with our schedules nearly matching, we all ate our family meal at seven sharp. _

_Throughout today, Mother's Day, Maria talked non-stop about the new baby and how excited she was for him/her to come. Edward and I had given Maria her gifts, flowers, and cards– she seemed appreciative – but what confused me was the lack of interest she had in Edward this day. I would have thought she would be interacting with our son constantly for this was her first special holiday with him. But she did not… She acted like he didn't even exist._

_As my wife flipped through endless infancy catalogues preparing to start buying things for the new baby, I took my son outside and walked him down to the park and enjoyed a beautiful day with him._

The moment I noticed my wife acting like Edward did not exist should have been a warning sign that something was going on. But foolishly I told myself that she was just overly excited about the new baby on the way and that took control of her mind. Maria nearly had a full-blown panic attack when she realized she was pregnant with Edward and almost aborted him… I never did understand, back then, how Maria had changed her feelings in eleven months from not wanting our first born child to suddenly wanting our second son… I understand now, but how could I have been so ignorant back then?

_-November 29, 1988-_

_I sat at the foot of Maria's bed with Edward fast asleep in my arms and stared lovingly at my wife as she breastfed our newborn son, Emmett Alexander. He looked nothing like Edward had when he was born. Emmett had the blackest hair and the darkest of brown eyes I had ever seen. He was also a chubby little thing, but adorable none the less. I could already tell that he and Edward would look nothing alike. Emmett was much larger than Edward was when he was born. As Emmett fell asleep eating, I chuckled. As I studied my wife I realized how much more relaxed she seemed with Emmett in her arms than she ever appeared, even today, with Edward in her arms. Was it possible that she would show favoritism towards Emmett? Nah… I quickly pushed that thought from my mind._

"_He's perfect," I heard my wife softly say as she lifted her gaze to mine. "We couldn't have done better. He's the most gorgeous baby I've ever seen."_

"_You're right. We've created two beautiful babies."_

"_Huh?" She expressed confusion but then the thought dawned on her, "Oh right… Edward. That would make two."_

"_Honey, are you all right? Why do you seem to favor Emmett over Edward? Edward's done nothing wrong to deserve this treatment from you?" I asked offended, as I defended the child in my arms. _

_She smiled affectionately, "I'm sorry, Carlisle. My mind is just numb. I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that we've got __**two **__perfect and healthy children." I noticed how she put the emphasis on two. "Can you bring Edward over and place him in my other arm? I would love to hold my little man, too?"_

_I smiled and nodded. There was the wife I knew and loved. As I walked around the bed heading to her free arm and gently laying Edward in the crook, I said, "He's very excited to meet his little brother."_

"_Did he say that?" she laughed._

"_He sure did. He wants to give Emmy a hug and a kiss."_

"_Emmy?" Maria questioned._

"_That's what Edward calls him since he can't say Emmett."_

"_It's catchy. I like it too."_

_I smiled, "Darling, you look exhausted. Why don't you catch some shut eye while the kids are asleep? I'll stay awake in case one of them needs something."_

_She nodded and closed her eyes, "Thanks, honey."_

"_No, thank you." She was already asleep as I placed a kiss on her forehead._

_I just sat back in the chair next to her bed and studied the three most important people in my life and smiled at how gorgeous they all were._

I really was a stupid man! Clear as day warning signs had been shown the day of Emmett's birth. Maria showing favoritism, Maria forgetting they had two children – how could I have believed that she was just overwhelmed with joy? Why did it take my son's death to draw up these memories, these warning signs, to show me all the mistakes I made missing them? I could have prevented my son's death if I'd taken these warning signs seriously. God, why are you punishing me? Why show me how at fault I am for Edward's death?

_-June 20, 1989-_

_Today was Edward's second birthday and my parents and Maria's parents were coming to celebrate. Along with Edward's neighborhood friend Bobby who had turned two last month. I was so infuriated with my wife. She had gone in for her math test this morning but texted me after saying she should stay at school to finish her biology lab. That lab wasn't due for another two weeks. So why did she choose her son's second birthday to work on the stupid project? This infuriated me beyond words. Her son didn't turn two years old everyday… she was missing a huge milestone in his development._

"_Mama?" I heard Edward ask as he pulled at my shorts._

"_Hey, buddy," I smiled as I picked him up and swirled him around in the air._

"_Mama?" He asked again, wanting an answer. Edward was an intelligent child. He knew when his mother and I were being honest or dishonest with him. He despised when we beat around the bush with him, he wanted the answer given to him straight. _

"_I'm sorry, buddy, but mommy won't be here today. She had to stay at school and finish her work."_

"_But me… two. Mama here." His lips began quivering as tears filled his eyes and pooled over._

"_I know she promised you, Edward. But mommy's school work needed to be done," I lied as I wiped the tears away. "But I'm here, buddy, and so are Emmett and Grammy and Grampy, and Meme and PopPop. We're all here to celebrate your second birthday, okay, Edward?"_

"_Otay, daddy."_

_I smiled and clapped my hands together, "All right, now that everybody's her, I think it's time we started Edward's second birthday party!" I heard the cheers from my family and waited till they died down to continue, "Edward, since it's your party, you can decide: Cake or presents first?"_

_His face lit up as he smiled brightly, jumping up and down clapping his chubby little hands together, as he exclaimed, "Cake! Cake! Cake!"_

That was the day I officially knew that Maria favored Emmett over Edward. When Emmett reached his milestones, never once did Maria miss them. She had missed so many of Edward's, as did I, but that was because of my hospital shifts. It saddened me that unlike with Emmett, I never came home in the evenings to have Maria run up to me with a smile to tell me what Edward did new or discovered that day, but she certainly did with our second son Emmett. But for her to miss her firstborn's second birthday, that was the piece of the puzzle that was missing; She could care less how Edward developed, all she cared about was perfect little Emmett. I hated her for that and I still despise her for it. I love all my children evenly for they all brought different gifts with their personalities… how could Maria have despised her own flesh and blood so much?

_-December 24, 1989-_

_I was coming home from a long, strenuous thirty-six hour shift from the hospital after a major interstate bridge had collapsed causing smashed cars, accidents, and lots of deaths and injuries. I had never been more excited to come home from a shift from the hospital than I was tonight – even if it was eleven' o'clock, and it had nothing to with tonight being Christmas Eve. As I opened the front the door I was greeted by the sight of my two-year-old son laying in fetal position on the bottom step with tears staining his cheeks, his shirtless body shivering from lack of heat. I glanced into the living room and saw my wife stretched out on the sofa with a blanket covering her, just stopping at the shoulders, as she watched America's Funniest Home Videos._

_I immediately rushed over to my son taking off my jacket on the way. I gently shook his shoulder and watched as his eyes fluttered open. _

"_Daddy?" He asked as I picked him up and wrapped my fleece jacket around his trembling body._

"_Edward, why were you sleeping on the stairs with no shirt on?"_

"_I bad boy, daddy. I wants warm shirt and said no mommy. She leaved me like this."_

_I stayed silent as Edward's sentence was processed in my brain but terror ran through my veins, "You wanted a warmer shirt on and your mother told you no?" My son nodded, "And she just left you in your room with no shirt on and didn't tuck you into bed."_

"_Yes, daddy."_

"_How did you get down here, buddy?"_

"_I follows mommy. I falled aseep here. I warm now, daddy. Thank you."_

"_You're supposed to be warm, buddy," I mumbled not loudly enough for my son to hear. "Well I'll make sure mommy never does something like this again, okay? It won't ever happen again. And I'm glad you're warmer now, Edward."_

_Edward nodded and smiled, tucking his head under my chin and wrapping his arms around my neck, "I sleepy, daddy."_

_I stood up with my child in my arms and walked up the stairs. I put him in warm pajamas and tucked him in. After kissing him goodnight and wishing him sweet dreams, I turned on his Tigger nightlight and shut the door gently behind me, hearing the soft snores from my son in his room. I went next door to the nursery and checked on my other son, who had turned one-year-old last month, and noticed in anger how he was fast asleep in a snug, fleeced onesie. What the hell was up with Maria and refusing to let our older son sleep in something warm during the harsh winter of Forks?_

_After kissing my baby boy on the forehead, I angrily made my way downstairs to confront my wife. I headed over to the television and turned it off._

"_Hey, I was watching that!" Maria started but stopped when she saw the look on my face. "What's got a stick up your ass tonight?"_

"_What's got… I'll tell you what's up! I come home from a thirty-six hour shift only to find my son shivering and sleeping on the bottom step with tears on his cheeks while his brother is tucked in securely upstairs nice and warm. Care to explain that?" I spat at her with venom in my voice._

"_That little brat was a terror tonight, not like you'd know since you're never around."_

"_Don't give me that bull. I'm the one to always put Edward to bed since you seem to always only want to do Emmett for some irrational reason."_

"_He wouldn't finish his dinner, he didn't get out of the bathtub when I told him to, and then when I go to put on his t-shirt he starts telling me no."_

"_He was cold, Maria. He wanted warm pajamas. Its twenty degrees out right now! How in the world could you put him in a t-shirt and then just leave him shirtless? You knew it was cold enough to dress Emmett properly."_

"_That brat just has himself wrapped around your finger, doesn't he? He's disobedient and throws tantrums, ones you never see. You don't know what he's really like! He kicked at me and hit me as I tried to get the shirt over his head. I had enough of it and told him to tuck himself in and I left the room. I had no idea he was going to follow me down here. He kept whining to me that he was cold and I told him to be quiet and get upstairs. But he didn't stop so I told him to wait there until you came home. He fell asleep waiting. It's warm down here, he was fine."_

"_You, being his mother, should have given him warmer pajamas when he asked for them. The least you could have done was wrapped a blanket around his body while he waited on the stairs for me." She huffed at me and rolled her eyes. I threw my hands in the air, "Don't you get it, Maria!? You're neglecting your OWN son. Why can't you accept the fact that we have __**two**__ children… two small children that need their mother to tend to their needs. Edward is almost three years old. Get over yourself already. Edward is __**your**__ son too."_

"_Neglectful? How can you think I am neglectful? Just because I let Edward throw his tantrum for one night and you're accusing me of being neglectful towards him? You have no right to accuse me of that. I admit I could have chosen a better way to handle his tantrum tonight. So I confess, I made a mistake. It won't happen again. Just don't accuse me of being neglectful."_

"_But it isn't just what happened tonight, Maria. Its how you've been with Edward his whole life. I know you didn't want him when we found out you were pregnant, but hasn't life been great with him in it?"_

"_Yes, it has, Carlisle," she answered me shortly._

"_Then why must you treat him like second priority. You have a favorite child and it isn't Edward. You have to start treating him like you treat Emmett. Can you do that?"_

"_I'll need to start," I heard my wife murmur._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I was going to tell you this when you got home but then we got into this fight… I went to the doctor's today. I'm three months pregnant, Carlisle. The baby's due on July 22."_

_I seemed to cool off at the disclosure of her pregnancy, "Pregnant… another baby?" I whispered in awe._

_Maria smiled and choked out with a sob, "Yeah, baby. Another one!" and ended with a huge smile._

"_I hope this one's a girl… I need a baby girl."_

"_Me too… this pregnancy so far doesn't feel like it did with Edward and Emmett, hopefully that's a sign that we are having a girl."_

"_Promise me you'll treat Edward better? Soon you'll have three little ones you'll have to treat equally."_

"_I promise, Carlisle. I'll do better."_

"_Thank you, hun. Once you get to know him, you'll love Edward. He's so carefree and kind-spirited."_

_She smiled and nodded, "Let's go up to bed?" she suggested._

"_Mmm," I moaned in agreement, I was extremely exhausted. "That's an excellent idea."_

Was I just blind to find real fault in my wife? I found my child fucking shirtless and shivering from the cold passed out on the bottom step on the staircase and all I did was ask my wife to do better and treat him more fairly? Was I just a cold hearted bastard or was I truly that clueless to the evil person my wife is? And this was when Edward was only two? How did he put up with four additional years of torture? Had Maria truly hated Edward just for being born? God, now I felt sick to my stomach…

_-June 23, 1990-_

_It was a calm Sunday afternoon and us doctors in the emergency room had no real trauma case come in as of yet, only a few stomach bugs and a child came in with a broken wrist. Now we sat around in the lounge and played a few rounds of poker wasting time as we waited for our next patients to arrive. Another hour passed until I heard myself paged to the front desk. I excused myself from the current round being dealt and headed to the front desk._

_The secretary, Allie Kern, informed me that my family was in the waiting room and that Dr. Brian Johnson had been paged and would be down in fifteen minutes to take an x-ray that needed to be done on my son. I thanked her and rushed into the waiting room. Maria was eight months pregnant with our daughter, Alice Mary, and was holding our eighteen-month-old son Emmet in her arms, while my injured three-year-old son Edward sat in the chair next to Maria. His arm was bent at an odd angle and his shirt was soaked with blood, his hands sporting brush burns. _

_I carefully gathered my son in my arms, avoiding contact of his back and broken arm, turning to my wife and asked, "Maria, what happened to him? How does a three-year-old end up like this?" __I asked in panic when I saw the terrible state my three-year-old son was in._

_My pregnant wife adjusted our one-year-old son in her arms and replied, "Edward wanted to be the good big brother and help push Emmett's stroller. I didn't see anything wrong with it but I noticed too late the hill that he began to go down. The momentum of speed the stroller picked up caused Edward to fall and the stroller dragged him down the pavement. He's got a lot of scratches on his back now. And when his arm smacked the ground I heard a snapping sound and realized he had broken it."_

"_You need to be more vigilant, Maria. This accident could have been prevented."_

"_Don't start blaming me, Carlisle. I can't even see my feet over my stomach so how can you expect me to see a hill start when I can't even see the damn ground?"_

_I sighed, Maria was right. Edward just happened to be the victim of just another accident that occurred while he was in the care of his mother._

_I looked at my battered son in my arms and gave him a gentle hug avoiding his back and broken limb before carrying him into an exam room and began patching him up._

Edward had ended up breaking the same arm he had broken when he was just a little baby. I'm shocked that he never had any permanent damage to his right arm with the two breaks he received in the first three years of his life. Maria was an irresponsible mother… she was definitely a woman not fit to be a mother. No woman who could show favoritism among her children when they were just babies… That favoritism only turned more dangerous along with Maria's excuses and believable lies… all that led to my son's premature death.

_-August 9, 1990-_

_I stayed home from work today to help my wife with our children. All of them had managed to pick up the flu. Alice was only two weeks old but fortunately, aside from the vomiting and diarrhea, she managed to skip out on the high fever that our poor boys were suffering from._

_I was currently bathing my baby girl when I heard Maria close Emmett's door silently behind her. She walked into the bathroom looking exhausted._

"_How are they?"_

_She sighed, "Emmett's fever is at 103 and Edward's is dropping, it's at 101. Both of them are out cold."_

"_Did you use a cool, damp cloth on Edward to still try to lower his temperature? I see you've done so with Emmy," I said as I noticed the cloth in her hand._

"_Should I still? I mean won't he get cold now that his fever is lowering?"_

_I shook my head, "He still needs it until his temperature is below 100. Do you mind doing it? I have to finish cleaning Alice."_

_She sighed, "Carlisle, I've been with those boys for the past hour. Can we switch?"_

_I was disappointed in her… I hoped she wasn't indicating that our children were a burden. "Honey, I'll only be ten more minutes with Alice, please just go take care of Edward."_

"_But I want to be with my baby! You can't deny me time with my own daughter."_

"_I wasn't," I started to argue but shook my head not having the strength to fight right now, "Fine. Finish bathing her and I'll go in and cool off Edward."_

_As I walked out of the bathroom hearing Maria coo over Alice, I hastily made my way across the hall to Edward's room. When I walked over to him I noticed the sweat beads lining his forehead and saw his body trembling. I gently stuck the thermometer under his arm and waited till it beeped: 104. I was alarmed, that was a dangerous temperature. I quickly pressed the cloth I had brought with me into the basin of cool water on the side table, squeezing the access water from it, and gently began wiping his sweaty brow desperate to cool him off and bring that temperature down. Had my own wife lied to me about caring for Edward? Because there was no way his temperature could have raised that high in thirty minutes._

Considering what I know now about wife's heinous behavior towards our son, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if she hadn't stepped foot in Edward's room that day while all three of our children were sick from the flu. Thank God I called off work that day, because if I hadn't, Edward's health could have been jeopardized if Maria had neglected him all day. Edward was such a little blessing, I still cannot grasp how Maria could have abused him and killed such an innocent soul? The only thing I know is that Maria was a selfish person and didn't think how Edward's death would affect everyone else but her…

_-December 22, 1990-_

_My wife and I, along with our two children Emmett and Alice, sat on a church bench while the pre-school performed the Christmas production of Jesus' birth. Our little boy Edward was playing one of the three Wise Men. When Maria was getting him fixed in his costume, as I videotaped, I chuckled at his protests of displeasure. He hated the long white robe he had to wear for his character. After his part in the play was over everyone clapped for the three children's participation, everyone except my wife. I looked over at her and saw that she had the most stagnant expression on her face, one that indicated boredom and obligation. How could she not be proud of our son when he just overcame his stage fright?_

_My son ran over to where I sat and jumped up on my lap, "Daddy, did I do good?"_

"_You sure did, buddy!" I smiled as I gave him a hug._

"_Mommy, did you see me?"_

"_Yeah, whatever, you did good… Now be quiet, the play is still going on!"_

_I watched as Edward's excited expression fell into one of pained confusion. Was it so hard for my wife to be kind to him just once in his life?_

That was the only play production or recital that Maria ever attended that Edward participated in. Every other time she had an excuse as to why she could not attend or said it would run too late and affect Emmett and Alice's bedtime. If it weren't for me taking off work early to attend my son's piano recitals in the afternoon and early evening then Edward never would have had family supporting him as he performed. I knew my parents attended as often as they could but Edward preferred having one of his parents there.

_-April 13, 1991-_

_Today was Easter. Maria was outside hiding the eggs that our children were to hunt in a couple of minutes. We had just come home from church so the children were still in their church clothes looking handsome and beautiful. My son Edward was almost four years old now, Emmett nearing two and half, and little Alice was now eight months old and was determined to crawl any day now._

_As I sat on the floor beside my little girl, I watched in amusement as Emmett chased his older brother around the house. Unfortunately as Edward rounded the corner, Emmett missed the turn and ran into the side table causing the vase of flowers sitting near the edge to teeter and fall to the ground, shattering._

"_EDWARD ANTHONY CULLEN!" I cringed as I heard my wife's atrocious screech. "How many times have I told you there is to be no running in this house?"_

"_Emmy ran too!"_

_My wife took threatening steps toward my son and to my utter shock backhanded him across the cheek, "You broke my favorite vase, you little brat!"_

_Edward stood brave not allowing the tears to fall that were filling his eyes, "I didn't break it, mommy. Emmy did."_

"_Are you talking back to me?" she shrieked._

"_Maria, calm down. Edward's telling the truth. Emmett ran into the table and the vase fell. It was an accident. If anyone's at fault, here, it's me. I shouldn't have let them run in the house." I said defending my children from my wife's wrath. _

"_I don't care, Carlisle. Edward knows better." She then focused her attention back on the frozen three-year-old, "Get up to your room now! You're being punished. No Easter egg hunt for you. Go now or you will get a spanking!"_

_I saw two emotions flash across my son's eyes: longing and fear. Why fear? What would he be scared of? I shrugged letting it go as I watched him fly up the stairs to his room._

"_Maria, why did you do that? It's Easter… You could have been more lenient. This whole week Edward's been looking forward to this Easter egg hunt."_

"_Carlisle, that boy needs discipline. He doesn't obey my rules. I'm sorry if he's sad about the egg hunt being taken away but maybe he'll remember how sad he felt and obey me next Easter."_

_I shook my head at my wife's cruelty. To be technical it was Emmett who had broken the vase, why wasn't he being punished? "You know, Maria, Emmett was the one to knock down the vase. I guess he shouldn't be able to participate either."_

"_Don't be silly now. He's only two. He didn't know any better." She took our younger son's hand and walked away, sweetly saying, "Come now, Emmy. We'll get you into play clothes and then you can go Easter egg hunting!"_

_I glanced up the stairs with regret for my now despaired son, but I quickly shook my head and picked up Alice following my wife into the family room; my heart going out to my oldest child alone upstairs._

Had Maria slipped a drug into my drinks or food that caused me to buckle under the invisible power she'd possessed over me? How could I let her get away with punishing our son on Easter and having him miss out on precious family time? Why didn't I press Edward on the fear that I had seen in his eyes when his mother mentioned _spankings_? He was three and heartbroken, had I asked then, Edward probably would have spoken the truth about his mother's treatment toward him. Jesus, Carlisle, how could you have been so stupid?

_-December 25, 1991-_

_Christmas morning was always a morning to be eager about. Our children were all mobile and full of adventure. Edward was now four, Emmett three, and Alice, seventeen months. We were all gathered around the tree, the children finishing up their sippy cups of milk that they always received in the mornings after they woke up. I watched Maria stand up and retrieve the children's stockings. She brought them over and sat back down around the Christmas tree. I watched as the children's faces lit up when she handed them their stockings._

_Emmett immediately reached into his and pulled out a toy garbage truck. "Oh cool, thank you!"_

_I smiled at his enthusiasm._

_Alice pulled out the teddy bear that was sticking out of her stocking and hugged it close, "Beary!"_

_I loved the sweetness that radiated off my daughter._

_I then glanced over at Edward who was peering into his stocking with a perplexed expression on his face. I wondered what was wrong, I had bought him a Hess truck for his stocking._

"_Mommy, there's nothing in my stocking," Edward told my wife quietly._

"_Did you forget where I'd hid his present?" I asked my wife, unsure of what was going on._

"_No, it's still exactly where you left it. I just decided that since Edward's been in trouble this week that he should receive nothing in his stocking. He doesn't deserve one."_

"_What did I do, mommy?" Edward asked, hurt lacing his voice._

"_You don't listen to me when I tell you something. You need to learn how to behave. Or this is what happens – you don't get presents."_

"_But I've been good, mommy. I do my best to listen. Please can I have my present?"_

_I watched as Maria shook her head, "No, Edward. You're lucky I'm letting you open the presents Santa brought you along with the ones daddy and I got you."_

_Edward nodded in defeat, "Yes, mommy. Thank you."_

_After the children had opened their presents and were in the playroom playing with all their new toys I walked over to my wife and confronted her._

"_What the hell were you thinking? It's Christmas! You don't take away gifts from our kids! What the hell went through your mind?"_

"_Obedience is the most important thing for a child to learn. Edward still needs that fact to go through his mind."_

"_He's four years old, Maria. You're going to scar him for life. Stop treating him more harshly than the others."_

_I watched her roll her eyes, "Fine, I'll give him the truck now."_

_I nodded while she went upstairs to get the truck._

That Christmas was the first time the idea of a divorce popped into my head. But I realized if we separated it would disrupt our children's lives horribly. Our kids wouldn't understand why they didn't see both of us every day and I was frightened they would turn bitter. I had never been more outraged than when Maria rejected my son one of his Christmas presents. Emmett and Alice were always her little angels… why couldn't she accept Edward as one?

_-September 2, 1992-_

_Today was Edward's first day of kindergarten. He would even get to ride the bus to school! I couldn't believe it… Where had the time gone? My son was five years old and officially and elementary school student. It was only half days, but he was going to meet new friends and hopefully find a sport he enjoyed. _

_As I waited with Edward at the bus stop he and I just chatted about what he should expect during his first day at school. Then with much dread, I saw the bus coming down the road. It pulled to a stop in front of us. I hugged by little boy and watched with tears as the bus drove off, taking my little boy to school._

_When I entered the house I walked over to my wife and wrapped my arms around her back, "It's official. Our son is in elementary school."_

_She shrugged me off, "Yeah, whatever, it will be nice to have him out of the house for a few hours. Hopefully his teacher can teach him some discipline." _

_With that said, she walked up the stairs to the nursery where Alice's cries rang out. I stood staring blankly at the staircase; if divorce was a solution, I'd divorce that bitter witch in a heartbeat._

Thinking back now, school must have been a blessing for Edward especially when he reached the first grade. He was out of the house, away from his mother, for eight hours. Those eight hours each day helped his body heal from wounds and gave him freedom of not hurting. Now I had tears running down my face; our house wasn't Edward's safe haven, his school was. That was completely messed up… A child's home was supposed to be where they felt safe, but because of Maria's torment on Edward, he must of dreaded coming home after school and when the weekends came.

_-July 4, 1993-_

_It was our annual fourth-of-July family picnic. Our entire family was relaxing in the pool while the children ran around the yard chasing one another. Well our entire family with the exception of Edward… He was lying in his room upstairs, asleep. Yesterday morning an ambulance rushed my son into the emergency room and Dr. Negley Jackson declared emergency surgery, for my son's appendix had ruptured. I noticed there was bruising around his right side but I figured it was just ruptured blood vessels. When he came out of surgery two hours later, I was relieved when I found him awake and talking. Dr. Jackson told me the bruising on his torso was not caused by ruptured blood vessels but by blunt trauma. He confessed to me it appeared as though Edward had been kicked or punched several times on his torso. Who would hit my child? I would have to warn Maria to keep a vigilant eye on our son to make sure no stranger was hurting him._

To think I thought it was an insane stranger that was hurting my son or possibly a teacher at his school? No, it was my own wife. Edward's own mother… When Negley had informed me that my son was being physically harmed, my stomach was in my throat, I felt nauseous. Edward was such a well behaved boy, so polite, the idea that someone had the nerve to strike my son brought upon me an anger I had never experienced before. If I was a violent man – hell if I didn't have two other kids to raise – I might have killed my wife myself. I would _never _forgive her for murdering my son.

_-October 16, 1993-_

_I found myself, once again, being paged to the front desk, thinking __**what did my son get into now?**__ This past month, my son had been taken from school and brought here because of recess injuries. My son was an injury magnet; I swore to myself that the next time Edward was brought into the hospital during school hours that we were going to withdraw him from public school and just home school the poor child._

_When he came in, I knew this was no falling off the jungle gym or monkey bars injury… no, this was more serious. His cheek was split open._

"_What happened to him? Why does Edward have such a large bruise on his cheek?" I asked._

"_The school nurse called again, Carlisle. Recess accident. Edward and another child were racing to the jungle gym and Edward fell, catching his face on the edge of the pole."_

_I winced at the deep purple bruise on his cheek, "That must hurt like hell," I mumbled. I just wasn't sure if I believed my wife's story or not. The cheek that was split open appeared more like a fist that met his face… "Are you sure there isn't more to what happened today?"_

_Maria looked at me astounded, "You don't believe me?"_

"_His injury looks more like he was punched. Are you sure he and the other child didn't get into a fight? I've seen child abuse cases before and the split open cheek always indicates a fist striking the child's cheek." I noticed that my wife paled slightly at my response._

_She sighed, "I don't know, Carlisle. I told you what the school nurse told me. What more do you want from me?"_

_I shook my head, "Sorry, sweetie. I'm just worried about our son."_

"_Yeah, me too," she responded quickly. "Now get in there and heal our son."_

_I nodded, but couldn't throw away the voice in my head that was telling me that Maria knew more about what had caused Edward's injury than she was letting on._

I had a gut feeling that day that my wife was the one to cause Edward the bruising on his cheek and split open cheek. But my heart just hadn't wanted to wrap around that intuition. I didn't want to face the fact that the repulsion my wife felt toward Edward could lead to physical harm. I was an idiot. Selfishly I buried that feeling away and that only allowed Maria to continue to harm Edward until she eventually killed him. This is why I blame myself for his death…

_-May 1, 1994-_

_I was watching Edward during his first day of swimming lessons at the local YMCA. He was such a little trooper. Before, Edward had been terrified of the pool water. But here he was with an instructor in the three-feet deep section of the pool with his floaties on his arms, as he held onto a kickboard and made his way across to the other side of the pool. When he reached the other side he immediately glanced up and found me and his mother and smiled brightly and waved at us enthusiastically. I returned the gestures with the same amount of enthusiasm. I noticed with a frown that he continued the gesture with confusion on his face. I glanced to the side and noticed my wife standing there playing her portable Yahtzee game not paying attention to our son's lesson. I nudged her on the side and pointed at Edward. She briefly waved but never smiled down at him as she returned to her game. I saw Edward frown before he continued on with his lesson._

"_This is so boring!" My wife exclaimed. "I am not coming here again. I'd rather be at home with Ali and Emmy!"_

"_My parents love spending time with their grandbabies, Maria. Besides, Edward is thrilled you've come to watch him."_

"_Yeah, well, I am not coming again."_

_She walked away and headed outside. I sighed… Nothing in the world would change the way she viewed Edward. I realized that now and it broke my heart. Edward would never know what a mother's love felt like. I had had enough of her hatred portrayed at my son though. It was time to take action. I followed her out the door and saw her sitting on one of the benches outside._

"_Maria, I'm done."_

"_Excuse me?"_

_I took a deep breath before continuing, "I've put up with it for six years hoping your attitude would change but it hasn't. I can no longer stay in a house where you hate one of your own children. Emmett and Alice sense it… they aren't stupid. They know you love them but not Edward. This summer, once Edward's schooling is over, I want a divorce. And I will fight you for full custody of the children."_

"_You can't mean that."_

"_Do I ever… Once June 6__th__ rolls around, we are filing for divorce." With that I walked away and headed back inside to watch the rest of my son's swimming lesson._

I was even a bigger idiot than I thought I was before. Everything she had said about Edward ruining her life… she took out all her anger on me with my suggestion of a divorce on Edward. My God, had I been home she would have used the baseball bat on me not my son. Why hadn't I come home sooner? I could have taken my son's place and he'd still be alive. God, was this my punishment for overlooking the warning signs you sent me of the abuse he was suffering from? To have me live with the guilt and regret for the rest of my life… is that the punishment you've granted me?

_**A/N: Did anyone catch what was the cause of Maria's brutal murder of her son? Take guesses, I will let you know if you're right!**_

_If you're interested in seeing these chapters come to life, then it all depends on you to make it happen. How can you make it happen????_

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

_**(The more reviews I get… the better motivated I will be to write the next chapter!) **_


	3. Mommy's Punishments and Daddy's Love

_**A/N: Thanks for the SUPPORT so far guys! It means a lot! Please keep those REVIEWS coming!!!**_

_****Also, I APOLOGIZE for the long wait for this chapter. Real life caught up with me along with my summer courses at college. But hey, here's the next chapter! ENJOY and REVIEW!****_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TWILIGHT Saga. That belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

_***** WARNING: This story contains child abuse… Mild as it may be, if you cannot stomach this sort of material DO NOT read.*****_

*****This chapter is to show what thoughts went through Edward's mind when his mother punished him and how much brighter the days were when his father was home. You get an insight to the hell and grace that was Edward's young, young life.*****

**Chapter Three – Mommy's Punishments and Daddy's Love**

_**-Edward's POV (before his death)-**_

I get so jealous! When I arrive at school every morning and see all the other kids' parents giving them hugs and kisses before wishing them a good day before they sprint into school – I don't get that. My daddy works early and is always gone in the mornings. Mommy doesn't walk to school with me; she makes me walk all by myself. Every morning is the same. She violently slams open my bedroom door, shoves my shoulder gently and screams _"Get up, you lazy child!"_, then she leaves my room. I am left alone to dress myself, make my bed, and make myself toast. When the clock reads 8:15, my mommy always thrusts in my face my brown paper lunch bag that contains a sloppily made peanut butter and jelly sandwich. There's always thirty-five cents lying loosely on the bottom for my milk during lunchtime. I never get a goodbye hug from mommy, yet alone a simple _goodbye_.

I always find myself wondering what I did to make my mommy hate me so much. I'm only six years old. Surely, I didn't do something that deserved her hatred. It hurts to know that my mommy doesn't even love me. I can't remember a time where she told me that she loved me. She loves Emmy and Ali though. She always plays with them, snuggles with them, and comforts them when they are sad or scared. Every day, many times a day, mommy tells Emmy and Alice just how much she loves them and what a good boy and girl they are. She tells them every day that she couldn't have asked for better children than they. I feel like mommy doesn't even know I'm here. It's like she's forgotten me. I'm good for only two things in her eyes: chores and punishment. I'm constantly put to work, doing things that hurt my arms, legs, and back because some things are too heavy for me. I try to tell mommy that the job is hurting me, but she just screams back at me that I am lazy and will be punished for it.

I can remember the first punishment that made me scared of my mommy. I think I was two. Anyway, Emmy started crying. He was only a baby. She had to go take care of him and she was in the middle of making lunch. She pulled up a chair next to the stove and told me to continue stirring the boiling water. I listened. I heard an airplane overhead and turned my head to glance out the window to take a look at it when I accidentally dropped the spoon. It fell on the floor. I quickly hopped down off the chair to pick it up. That's when I heard her footsteps. I clambered back up on the chair and began trembling. She would be so angry if I wasn't doing the job she asked of me. But the spoon was dirty now that it had been on the floor.

"_Eddie, why aren't you stirring the water?"_

"_I drop spoon. It falled on floor."_

"_You arrogant little bastard. Can't you do anything right?" Mommy yelled at me._

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Sorry's not good enough! Do you know what mommies do to little boys who don't listen?"_

_I shook my head, not knowing the answer. _

"_They punish them."_

_She stomped over to me kicking the chair out from under my feet and roughly caught me yanking me up forcefully so my back was against her chest. She forced my head down into the pot and held it there. My face was not touching the boiling water but I could feel the hot steam connecting with my face causing me to sweat. It was getting hard to breathe the heat was so stifling. I tried struggling against mommy's grip but she was too strong. When I went limp in her arms she threw me to the ground and smacked my cheek with her hand. It stung._

"_You will listen to me from now on, boy! You understand?"_

"_Yes, mommy."_

"_Another thing, you are not to tell daddy or anyone about the punishment I gave you."_

"_Why?"_

_She smiled smugly, "Because if you do, I will kill daddy. Then you will not have protection ever in this house."_

_I stayed silent. _

"_Do you understand me, boy? You tell anyone and I kill daddy!"_

_I nodded, "No tell. Secret."_

"_Yes. Now go up to your room. You'll be spending the rest of the day in there."_

_I quickly ran off and went straight to my room where I cried for hours._

My mommy used that threat every time she punished me. If I ever told anyone that she hurt me then she would kill my daddy. I couldn't tell. If I did, mommy would take away the only person who liked me: daddy. Daddy loved me, he told me so every day. The only time I ever had any fun was when he was home.

Mommy punished me more times than I can count. I used to keep track on my fingers and toes but I soon ran out of those, so I lost count after twenty. Most punishments I can't really remember. But there are those select few that I can recall clearly because mommy hurt me the worst with those.

The most recent one I remember happened a few days ago. After I was done with my chores I decided to go out back and play. The weather was gorgeous and I love being outdoors! Well mommy came marching outback and yelled at me, saying a disrespectful child does not deserve outside time. I still have aches from the beating I received that day.

_I was outside kicking the soccer ball around the yard. I would love to play soccer; it's such a fun game to play during gym class. But mommy refuses to pay for me. Daddy and her got into an argument about it but mommy won saying she's the one who spends most of the days with me, and that she knows I don't have the discipline to play a team sport. I wish daddy would have fought harder, because I am disciplined enough to play soccer. As I continued to dribble the ball, I heard the backdoor slam shut and heard my mother's shrill voice. I cringed as she yelled._

"_You little brat, what the hell are you doing out here?"_

"_Playing soccer."_

_I took a few steps back as she came trudging toward me, her hands balled into fists. "Little disrespecting monsters like you don't deserve to play outside. Monsters like you should be hidden away. If I had it my way, you little bastard, I'd have you tied up in the basement with tape over your smart ass mouth. Better yet, I'd toss you into the ocean and be rid of your burden."_

_I swallowed and bowed my head. I was very used to her harsh words by now. I knew she didn't love me, I just wish I knew why. Sighing, I took a breath and replied, "I'm sorry, mommy."_

_Her nostrils flared and her eyes became enraged, "You must earn the right to call me that. And you haven't. How dare you, you little bastard!" _

_That was when the beating started. She back handed me across the face, the brunt of the impact causing me to stumble backwards. It was the delivering kick to my stomach that caused me to drop to the ground. She kicked at my ribs and slapped my back several times before I was nothing but a trembling heap on the floor. When she had finished, she ordered me up to my room. I tenderly lifted myself off the ground and slowly and excruciatingly brought myself up to my room._

I might have to hide mommy's punishments and never tell my daddy or anybody because mommy will kill daddy if I do, but I don't always live in pain and fear. Sure, most of the time I do. But when daddy's home I get to play with Emmett and Alice and I get to be a kid and play with daddy. He makes me laugh and smile. He makes sure I know that I am loved. Daddy is the happy time during the long, long days…

I remember the first time my daddy came home and cheered up my spirit. It was the night of my mommy's first threat of his death if I told him about my punishment. I'd been in my room and had missed dinner because mommy said bad little boys don't get the luxury of food. So I was lying on my bed cuddling my best friend, my stuffed animal lion named Rarwy, to my chest when my daddy walked in.

_I watched as my daddy walked over to my bed and sat himself down on the edge. I wasn't afraid of my daddy but I still curled into a tighter ball holding Rarwy closer to my chest burying my head in its soft fur. But after the way mommy treated me, I guess I wasn't sure who I was able to trust at the moment. Would my daddy hurt me too?_

_Daddy wearily began rubbing soothing circles on my belly and leant down to give me a kiss. "What's wrong, buddy? You've been crying."_

_I sniffed and wiped away my tears with my small fists. "I been bad, daddy."_

"_Mommy told me you misbehaved and got punished, but surely you know she isn't going to stay mad at you forever."_

_My belly growled and my anxiety increased. Barely above a whisper I croaked, "I hungry."_

_Daddy looked at me with concern, "Didn't you eat your dinner, Edward?"_

"_I bad. No dinner for bad boys."_

"_Mommy didn't feed you dinner?"_

_I silently shook my head in the negative. If I was a good boy the rest of the night and in the morning and woke up on the first try, then mommy said I could have breakfast!_

"_Well mommy was wrong then. No little boy goes to bed without dinner. What are you hungry for?"_

"_Bagel. And milk," I mumbled pitifully at the end, not sure if I was stepping out of my boundary line asking for a drink as well._

_My daddy smiled and scooped me into his arms and said comfortingly, "Well then let's go make you a bagel and get you some milk."_

_Hope filled my body as daddy carried me down the stairs. I snuggled into his chest as I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck and said, "Dank you. I wuv you, daddy."_

_Daddy hugged me and kissed my cheek, replying, "I love you too, Edward."_

Daddy was so nice that night. Even though mommy yelled at him for feeding me when I was supposed to have been being punished, daddy stood his ground and in the end, I was given food before daddy brought me up to my room and did our bedtime ritual, which included a bath, story time, and snuggle time in my bed before he switched on my night light and sound machine, then closed the door as he walked out.

Another time I remember is when daddy was home all day because mommy had something at school, and I finally got the chance to play with my brother and sister. For once, I was not punished at all that day. It was so nice to go a day having it be pain free! Have I mentioned just how much I love my daddy? He's my hero.

_I woke up yawning and stretched out my arms and legs getting the stiffness out of them. I hadn't been woken up in a mean manner. Hum… something was up. I walked down the stairs into the kitchen and smelled eggs and bacon being cooked. But what surprised me was it was not mommy making the food, it was daddy. _

"_Daddy, do you have off today?" Now that I was four years old, I understood that daddy worked and could take a couple of days off during the year if he wanted to._

"_I had to take off, buddy."_

"_Why, daddy?" asked my little brother Emmett. He was currently busy trying to get our ten-month-old baby sister Alice to imitate his tiger growls._

"_Mommy has a big paper she has to write for her class at school. So I am here to hang out with you guys all day today."_

"_Yay, I like dis!" exclaimed Emmy._

"_Dada! Dada! Dada!" I smiled at Alice. She noticed the happy smiles Emmett and I wore on our faces and had to join in on our gladness._

_I walked up to my dad, wrapped my arms around his legs, and said, "I am so happy you're here today, daddy. This will be the bestest day ever! I love you!"_

"_I love you too, Edward." Daddy replied as he returned my hug._

_That day was full of love, laughter, and fun. It was August so we went down to La Push beach and swam and played baseball. We even had a picnic. Alice ate sand… yucky! Daddy just laughed and took pictures of her. Emmy got mad at me when I started burying him in the sand. He started crying and tattled on me. Daddy told me to stop. Instead, daddy and Emmy buried me in the sand. It was lots of fun! Then the sky went from sunny to cloudy, the stormy kind clouds, so daddy packed the car up and took us home. After he placed Ali and Emmy down for a nap, it was only him and me awake._

"_Daddy, can I tell you something?"_

"_Sure, Eddie, what is it?"_

"_Do you know why I love you?"_

"_Why, buddy?"_

"_Because you make me happy." I paused not sure if what I was going to say next would break my promise to mommy. "And I never hurt when you're around."_

_Daddy looked at me, confused. "Well no little boy should hurt. Daddy would never hurt you."_

"_I know… __**you**__never would." I hoped he would catch the emphasis and clue I was covertly giving him._

"_What's up, Edward? You're acting a little odd."_

"_Nothing, daddy! I just love you!" I quickly covered up my small slip with an innocent smile._

_He smiled and pulled me into him and wrapped me up in a firm embrace, "I love you, Edward."_

_He then proceeded to tickle my belly and I began arching my back and laughing out, "Stop, daddy! That tickles!"_

_He continued to tickle me and teased, "Oh yeah? What's the magic word, Eddie?"_

_I shook my head. I didn't want to say the nickname he gave me out loud._

"_C'mon, Edward… What's the magic word? It's the only way I'll stop."_

"_Okay, okay," I laughed. I was laughing so hard that I had a few tears forming in my eyes, "Eddie Beary!"_

_My daddy stopped right away, "You see, Eddie Beary? I told you, if you said the magic word I'd stop."_

"_Yes, daddy," I yawned._

"_Are you tired too, buddy? I sure am wiped! Would you like to take a nap with me on my big bed?"_

_I couldn't believe my ears. Every time I had tried to crawl into my parents' bed to sleep in the middle, mommy always kicked me out of their room saying I wasn't allowed in. Even if I was scared because it was thunder storming or I had a bad dream, I just wasn't allowed in there._

"_Are you sure, daddy?" I asked in a small voice._

"_I sure am, Edward. Would you like to?"_

_I nodded and smiled brightly. Daddy once again scooped me into his arms while he took me to his room for our late afternoon nap. Once again, I love my daddy __**so**__ much!_

I long for those days when daddy is home all day and mommy knows she can't punish me because she doesn't want daddy knowing what she does to me when I get punished. Fortunately for me, daddy is home today! Mommy is having a girls' day with Alice and daddy is taking Emmett and me to Seattle to watch a local NASCAR race. It's my first race! I guess being six years old is my lucky age. I am so excited! I like having days when it is just us boys. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my daddy. I love him so much…

_**A/N: I will TRY to update quicker this time! Summer school is over June 26**__**th**__**, yay!!!**_

_If you're interested in seeing these chapters come to life, then it all depends on you to make it happen. How can you make it happen????_

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

_**(The more reviews I get… the better motivated I will be to write the next chapter!) **_


	4. Fragile Soul Caught In the Hands of Fate

_**A/N: Thanks for the SUPPORT so far guys! It means a lot! Please keep those REVIEWS coming!!!**_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TWILIGHT Saga. That belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

_***** WARNING: This story contains child abuse… Mild as it may be, if you cannot stomach this sort of material DO NOT read.*****_

**Chapter Four – Fragile Soul Caught In the Hands of Fate**

_**-Edward's POV (day of his death)-**_

Mommy was upstairs in daddy's office doing paper bills while I found myself downstairs in the family room actually playing with Emmett and Alice for a change. We were playing with our stuffed animals. We were pretending they were getting ready to go to a baseball game. I had my favorite lion Rarwy with me, Alice had her puppy Baby, and Emmett held his teddy Kasey. We were laughing and skipping around, just have a really fun time. I loved the times I was given to play with Emmy and Ali. Those times were rare, so I learned to appreciate them.

Then I heard the heavy footsteps of my mommy coming down the stairs and when she came upon us in the family room, her face was bright with rage. I gulped, expecting another punishment.

"You little shit! I hate coming down here and seeing your face. It's the ugliest face I've ever seen in my entire life. I am embarrassed you are my son."

I gasped in fright when she picked me up and started shaking me. It wasn't a gentle shake. It was violent. My head was snapping back and forth at an ungodly pace and my neck was starting to hurt. I couldn't move; I couldn't speak. I was rendered helpless as my mommy continued to really hurt me. I managed to focus my attention on my siblings, who were running behind the couch and crying out in fear. They were begging mommy to stop hurting me. I didn't realize it, but I was crying and screaming out in pain as they screamed at mommy to stop. The shaking stopped all too soon and then there was a new sharp pain as I was thrown against the wall and crumpled to the floor in a shaking heap. I coughed and felt something spray out from my lips. I gazed at the white wall and became scared when I saw blood on the wall.

"Mommy," I tried calling out to her but she grabbed me under the arms and slammed my head into the wall. It hurt so badly that a few tears began falling. I felt myself being dragged on the floor up the stairs as she pulled me by my arm. Each time I was flopped against the steps, pain shot through my chest as my ribs broke. She held me in the air once more, my feet dangling, as she gave me a few more good shakes.

As mommy shook me, she screamed, "You are fucking devil's spawn, do you know that? I am going to kill you, you little shit! And you will go to hell where you deserve to be. Do you want to know why? Your daddy found out about our punishments somehow. He's going to divorce me and take Alice and Emmett away from me all because of _YOU_! Well I'm not going to let that happen. So with you dead and out of the picture, daddy won't divorce me. Our lives will be much better with you dead!"

After she finished shaking me, mommy tossed me unceremoniously onto the ground and kicked my ribs a few times before stomping across the room. I watched as mommy went to my closest and snatched out a metal baseball bat. That was daddy's autographed bat. No one was supposed to touch it. Yet alone us kids, daddy said we could get hurt if it hit us. Why was mommy getting the bat out? As I silently closed my eyes and wished daddy would get home sooner rather than later, I heard a sickening crack and felt a blinding pain as ribs broke and I felt them fall inside me. I gasped in shock, mommy was beating me with the bat. She hit me several times more in the ribs and stomach, ignoring my pleas of asking her to stop.

When she stopped striking me with the bat, I forced my gaze upwards and stared at her in agony, "Mommy, please… no more. I be good boy." Each time I spoke a word, the blood continued to splatter from my lips.

Mommy ignored me again and continued to swing the bat at my bruised body, moving on to my legs and arms. She then moved on to my head. The first swing connected with my mouth and I felt my teeth break and heard them fall to the floor. Mommy stepped on each tooth with a wicked smirk as she swung the bat twice, hitting each side of my cheeks once. I felt them break and cave in.

I could barely see, my eyes were nearly swollen shut. The bitter taste of blood filled my mouth and I spat the blood out trying to free myself of the metallic taste. I noticed mommy was taking a break from my beating. I decided this was my only chance so I said, as I gazed into her eyes, "I sorry, mommy. I love you, mommy."

My words only seemed to ignite the flame once more for she swung the bat at my forehead and it connected painfully as I cried out.

"You have no right to call me mommy or to love me. I hate you, boy! I don't want your love. I just want you dead."

She struck the bat against my head once more and yelled in frustration when she noticed I was still alive. I started praying to Jesus that he would help me. Help take me away from the pain mommy was inflicting on me. I knew I was slipping away, there was a warm light at the end of my vision and I saw a man with a beard wearing a white gown and he was holding a gentle hand out toward me, ushering me to him. And I wasn't afraid of him, I wanted to go with him. But I wanted to wait for my daddy to tell him I love him before I took this man's hand. The man just smiled at me and nodded. That was when I remembered the story about Heaven that daddy had told us about. This man was Jesus and He was here to take me to Heaven, my sky home. Jesus was answering my prayer.

I knew mommy had hit me again and again with the bat, but I couldn't feel the pain anymore – I was numb. It was nice not feeling the pain any longer.

I heard mommy scream at me again, _"_You little bastard! How long does it take you to die?" My mommy's words were vicious and her voice was full of venom.

Mommy struck my chest hard with the bat and I let out a whimper. I just wanted the beating to stop. I needed to wait for daddy before I went into the light with Jesus, but if mommy kept hurting me I might not get to see daddy again. I needed to somehow let mommy know my plan so I whispered, "Stop… pease."My plea only made mommy angrier because she yelled at me once more.

"You should never have been born! I knew you were a mistake back then but no – I had to go and listen to your daddy beg me to keep you. I loved your daddy so I only kept you alive for _him_." Mommy hit my head with the bat again and I cried out in defeat, there was no way I would see daddy again if mommy kept this punishment up, "You have made my life hell, kid! You are an ungrateful brat. You are a mistake… a waste of human air. You deserve no one. And believe me when I say this… no one loves you, not even _daddy_."

I felt my heart shatter as mommy gave me one final blow to the head with the metal bat. The one person I was holding on for did not even love me. Mommy just told me so. It made sense. Daddy was never around… and even if daddy did tell me he loved me, did daddy really mean it? I felt a tear trickle out of my eye as I let my body give up. I still wished to see daddy one more time but I did not have the strength to wait any longer. I guess my daddy loved me but maybe not as much as he told me he does… As I let my eyes start to close, my heart got its closure as I saw my daddy rush into the room with tears falling down his cheeks as he punched my mommy. I closed my eyes in content as I let go… Daddy really did love me.

_**A/N: Hey guys – Reviews were a bit skimpy last chapter. I love to know what people are thinking about my story, so please REVIEW. HOWEVER – great thanks to those of you who DID review. That means A LOT to me. =)**_

_****Also, I am thinking two more chapters are left in this story, maybe three. So this story is coming to a close.****_

_If you're interested in seeing these chapters come to life, then it all depends on you to make it happen. How can you make it happen????_

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

_**(The more reviews I get… the better motivated I will be to write the next chapter!) **_


	5. Savior with Golden Wings

_**A/N: Thanks for the SUPPORT so far guys! It means a lot! Please keep those REVIEWS coming!!!**_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TWILIGHT Saga. That belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

_***** WARNING: This story contains child abuse… Mild as it may be, if you cannot stomach this sort of material DO NOT read.*****_

**Chapter Five – Savior with Golden Wings**

_**-Carlisle's POV-**_

Six weeks, it had been six weeks since my little boy's death. No matter how hard I tried not to allow myself to move on with life, due to the guilt I blamed on myself for Edward's death, my attempt was inevitable. I had to provide my two surviving children with food, shelter, and clothes so I had to go back to the hospital only two weeks after my son's death to earn the money. My mother was my life savior these last four weeks after I started back at work. She would come to my place at 9:30, right after I dropped Emmett off at pre-school in the morning, and would watch Alice. Then at 11:30, my mother would pick Emmett up from school and then she would stay at my house until nine in the evening when I got home from work. I knew I wasn't seeing enough of my children but they brought back too many painful memories of my late son and I just couldn't cope with the emotions those memories drug up. My superior at the hospital enforced me to take the weekends off. He was a father himself, so he knew it was important that I spent some time with my children. He didn't even allow me to be on-call on Saturdays or Sundays. Mother and father constantly got on my case, telling me to stop working twelve hours shifts every week day and spend more time with Emmett and Alice. Mother said I was going to regret those missing moments that I took forgranted of because it was a part of their childhood I would never get back. Trust me, I know all this… you have no idea how badly I wish I would have spent more time with Edward in his short life.

Emmett and Alice, God love them, they knew I was hurting. Emmett had caught me crying twice and asked me why. I told him I was just really sad that Edward was no longer in our lives. Alice also asked me why I was always so sad. And in simple terms I told her what I had said to Emmett. I knew they were missing me by a landfall. Every weekend I spent with them, their eyes were ignited with life once again. They would always jump up on my bed in the early morning and gaze at me with those puppy-dog eyes and begged me to let them sleep with me. Of course I could never decline their question, so we would sleep and snuggle in the bed until nine in the morning. Our days were full of laughter and joy, but those days were always bittersweet for me. Those days would have been complete if Edward had been with us.

However, despite the unending love Emmett and Alice gave, their love just wasn't enough to raise my spirit. I was, at an extremely fast pace, losing my will to live. Edward had been my rock, the meaning of my life. With him gone, I felt like there was nothing left. Like there was nothing that could enlighten my will to survive and move on. The weight of guilt, the stress that work left on my mind, and the regret I felt as I semi-abandoned Emmett and Alice was becoming too much for me to deal with. Those three stressors combined pressed down on my shoulders so heavily that my spine felt like it would collapse under the weight.

After much consideration over the past six weeks I had finally drawn up my decision… I wanted out. I was tired, beyond reasonable exhaustion. I wasn't living a life anymore, I only existed. And there was no reason to just exist. Without a meaning to continue living your life, why continue to live? I wanted out, and fast. I was done… nothing anyone said to me would change my mind. I glanced at the clock and it was 5:30 on a Sunday morning, Emmett and Alice would be in soon. My children would be left in safe, capable, wise, and loving hands: my parents. I would leave this world knowing they would be safe and loved and rose properly and guided in wisdom and the right direction in life. So this was it, this would be the last day I spent with Emmy and Ali… my last day alive. I would sleep one final time tonight, planning to poison my coffee in the morning. At least I would go quickly even if I did feel a bit of pain. Though that pain would be nothing compared to what Edward endured.

I couldn't believe how fast the past fourteen hours had flown by. My kids were now tucked into their beds fast asleep. I had such a great time with Alice and Emmett today. We played outside and went to the park. Then we came inside for lunch, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with chocolate milk. I gave in to my kids' pleas and I allowed them to skip their nap in the afternoon. Instead, we watched a movie called 101 Dalmatians. When the movie had finished, we went outside and played in their tiny baby pool. Emmett and Alice had a blast! Soon it was dinner time; I made chicken tenders and French fries. My children's favorite. Then we watched a Barney going to bed show, and then I gave them a bath. We read two stories before I tucked them into bed. Now I found myself writing a note to my parents explaining my suicide. I set the note on the kitchen counter where I knew my mother would find it in the morning along with my body. Now I lay in my bed recalling memories of my life; I sighed in content when I thought about my day with Emmy and Ali, before drifting off to sleep.

"_Daddy! Daddy, wake up." Had I already died? Or was I going insane? I heard my late son's voice calling my name. I groaned and covered my ears with my hands. "No, silly daddy, open your eyes. I want to talk to you, daddy." I didn't want my excitement to grow to disappointment when I discovered he was just a figment of my imagination. "Please, daddy." But when my little boy begged me, I slowly opened my eyes. I gasped in shock. There he was. There was my little Edward; he was dressed in a white robe with a golden belt wrapped around the center along with a golden halo floating upon his head. He was sitting on my lap, in my bed, smiling at me brightly. "Hey, daddy, I've missed you."_

_I shakily reached out my hand to see if I could physically touch my child's hand, I was so relieved when I could. I took his hand in mine and squeezed it lovingly, "Oh, Edward – Eddie, I am so sorry, sweetheart. I never thought your mother would hurt you like she did." I saw my son about to intervene so I started again, "No, Edward, let me finish."_

"_Okay, daddy," he replied obediently. _

_His emerald eyes, as they stared at me, made me feel like they were going to swallow me up. Edward's eyes were full of innocence, love, and appreciation. "Edward, I was stupid to believe the lies your mother came up with. I should've been able to see through them, but I didn't. And it cost you your life. I can't apologize enough, buddy, and I don't expect your forgiveness."_

"_Daddy, it's not your fault. Mommy just didn't like me. But you did. I don't know why… but you did. You loved me, daddy. That was such a nice feeling."_

"_I will always love you, Edward. You must know that."_

"_Mommy told me you didn't. Right before I went with Jesus to my sky home. I almost believed her, daddy. You worked so much and I was thinking maybe you were lying to me when you told me how much you loved me."_

"_Oh, sweetheart," I said in a broken whisper._

"_But you know what, daddy?"_

"_What, son?" I asked, my voice pleading._

"_Mommy lied when she told me that. Right before I fell asleep, I saw you come in. You were crying, daddy. I knew you would only cry if you were sad that I was leaving. That's how I knew you really did love me."_

_Tears were rolling freely down my face when I asked, "Buddy, can I give you a hug?"_

_I watched as Edward flashed me a huge grin, "You don't have to ask me for a hug, daddy. Just do it."_

_I pulled my son against my chest and enveloped him in a tight embrace. I inhaled trying to catch a trace of his scent, and I caught whiff of his lovely scent that I had missed so much. He always smelled like baby powder crossed with a smidge of cherry._

_Edward pulled away and placed his tiny hands firmly on my shoulders and gazed at me with concern in his eyes, "Now daddy, I have something I have to talk to you about. You can't do what you are planning in the morning. Emmy and Ali need you, daddy. You can't leave them all alone."_

_I shook my head, "Edward, it's too hard. I can't go on anymore. I can never be happy again."_

"_Yes you can, daddy. It's just going to take a little time. But you can't leave Alice and Emmett. They need you so much, daddy. Please, daddy, don't worry about me. I'm not alone up in my sky home. I have lots of friends up there and Jesus is my daddy up there. I am safe, daddy. Please promise me you will move on and stay with Ali and Emmy. Please, daddy, I will be at peace knowing that."_

_I stared at my son in astonishment. I knew my son had always been intelligent but the wisdom he just spoke was beyond his six years. "Are you really not alone?"_

"_I'm happy, daddy. I'll be happier knowing you, Ali, and Emmy are doing well down here."_

_I sighed, how could I defy my son's wish? Taking a deep breath I replied, "Okay, I'll stay."_

"_Thank you, daddy. And daddy?"_

"_Yes, Edward?"_

"_I forgive you. I forgive you for not wanting to believe mommy was hurting me before it was too late. I forgive you for not being able to save me in time. And I forgive you for working all those days and not spending enough time with me. Promise me you'll spend more time with Emmy and Ali."_

"_I promise."_

"_Daddy, I have to go now. I love you so much, daddy."_

_I barked out a laugh that was a combination of happiness and despair, "I love you too, son."_

_We embraced each other and I placed a kiss on his forehead._

"_We'll see each other again. Just not for a long time. I'll keep you guys safe."_

"_Thank you, honey."_

"_And be happy. Remember me, but please move on, daddy. Just don't let Emmy and Ali forget about me, okay?"_

_I smiled at my son's requests, "I promise, son, I won't let you be forgotten."_

"_Goodbye, daddy! I love you."_

"_I love you, Edward. I'll see you later." I just couldn't bring myself to bid farewell to my son. I felt like saying goodbye was like I was closing Edward from my life for eternity._

I blinked and heard an alarm go off. When I sat up in bed and slammed the alarm clock off, I glanced around the room and realized Edward was gone. Had my dream been just a dream or had my son given me the closure I needed in a nightly visit? I shook my head but smiled genuinely for the first time in six weeks. There was a weight lifted off my shoulders that I hadn't realized had been there. I quietly made my way into my son Emmett's room and noticed that Alice had crawled into bed next to him and Emmett had a protective arm wrapped around her waist as they slept soundly. I crept over silently and placed a kiss on both of their exposed foreheads.

I sat down in the rocking chair beside the bed and silently prayed to God thanking Him for keeping Emmett and Alice safe. I was no longer angry with God; I realized Edward had been given to me for a reason. And even though I was only blessed with him for a short six years, I now understood what Edward's purpose in his life was. Edward showed me that I should never take things forgranted and that I should love and appreciate everything I have in the present and not worry about what the future holds. I made mistakes with Edward and those mistakes eventually cost my son his life. But now I learned from those mistakes and I would never let harm come to Emmett and Alice. I vowed with my life that I would keep them forever safe. Edward was my personal little angel and I couldn't thank God more for blessing me with him…

_**A/N: Hey guys – Reviews were a bit skimpy last chapter. I love to know what people are thinking about my story, so please REVIEW. HOWEVER – great thanks to those of you who DID review. That means A LOT to me. =)**_

_****Also, only TWO more chapters left!!! So this story is coming to a close.****_

_If you're interested in seeing these chapters come to life, then it all depends on you to make it happen. How can you make it happen????_

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

_**(The more reviews I get… the better motivated I will be to write the next chapter!) **_


	6. Little Concrete Angel

_**A/N: Thanks for the SUPPORT so far guys! It means a lot! Please keep those REVIEWS coming!!!**_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TWILIGHT Saga. That belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

_***** WARNING: This story contains child abuse… Mild as it may be, if you cannot stomach this sort of material DO NOT read.*****_

**Chapter Six – Little Concrete Angel**

_**-Carlisle's POV-**_

Today was a very big day for my family, especially Emmett, Alice and me. It's been ten years since my son was killed by the hands of his own mother, but today July 24, 2004, justice was being served. My son's murderer was receiving the punishment she earned herself. I shiver and self-loathe myself each time I think that Maria used to be my wife, the love of my life. The only thing Marie was useful for was blessing me with three gifts: Edward, Emmett, and Alice. They are the only good that came from my marriage with that monster. Today, earlier this morning at 9:45, Maria was executed for the brutal murder of my six-year-old son Edward Anthony Cullen. I felt free now that justice had been served. After ten, long years of waiting for this day to come, I treasured the feeling of freedom for a change.

I can't believe how much my life has changed in these past ten years… A year after Edward's death I got a job proposal as chief surgeon at Chicago Memorial Hospital. After a long thought out decision I decided to accept the offer. My family needed change. My children needed to go some place new, a place where sadness and memories didn't haunt them each day. It was hard leaving Edward's grave behind, but I knew my parents would visit him often so he wasn't alone. It broke my heart a year later when my parents were killed in a car crash and Edward was left alone, even if it his spirit was in Heaven.

Six months after our move to Chicago, I met a wonderful woman named Esme Platt. She was a single mother of twins who were Emmett's age. Her first marriage had gone down the drain and her former husband had been abusive. It truly was love at first sight for us. We'd met in a local coffee house and chemistry just sparked.

Sixteen months later, I found myself standing at the altar waiting for my beloved bride to be walked down the aisle by her father. My six-year-old son Emmett was my ring bear and my five-year old daughter Alice was a flower girl. Esme's son Jasper was her ring bear and Rosalie, a flower girl. The children's appearances were of pure beauty and my love for them grew. Then the wedding march began to play and I watched my stunning, gorgeous bride walk down the aisle graciously. It felt wonderful to be married again and to be a part of a real family. That day was one of the greatest days of my life.

Despite how badly I wished time would stand still, time truly does fly by quickly. Esme and I had just celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary. We got her parents to watch the children while we went on a romantic cruise for the weekend. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were now soon-to-be freshmen at Chicago High. I couldn't believe my little man was fourteen years old. Alice was depressed. She was still in middle school, now all by herself, since her siblings had crossed over to high school. I was still shocked that my baby girl was officially a teenager, thirteen years old. She'd gotten her first period two months ago and that scared the hell out of me. I felt too embarrassed to talk to her so Esme offered to give her a small woman to woman talk about how important it is not to rush anything in a relationship and to save yourself for marriage. Emmett and Jasper, I would catch exploring themselves weekly, and Rosalie – well, she knew what her pleasures were.

Today, however, was just a day with me, Emmett, and Alice. We were on a flight back to Forks to visit Edward. We hadn't been to his grave in nine years. But because today had been Maria's execution, I felt this day was the right day to go back and visit my late son. And as much I loathed myself to admit this, there were days that passed by where I either only briefly thought of him or didn't. Life was moving on, and as life moved on I let myself not constantly think of Edward. That broke my heart, I was letting my little boy slip away from me.

We finally arrived at Forks Cemetery, after picking up our rental car and driving there. We walked slowly, all a bit anxious, as I guided myself and my children in the direction of Edward's grave. Finally we neared the willow tree that his grave laid beneath and we all came to a quiet halt. My children and I formed a half circle around the tree as we gazed at the grave that my son was buried beneath.

It read:

_Edward Anthony Cullen_

_June 20, 1987 – May 2, 1994_

_Beloved son and brother_

_May you fly with the angels_

"Well guys, this is it. This is your brother's grave. Feel free to tell him whatever you would like." I noticed the hesitance in their eyes and noted, "Please guys, don't feel awkward talking to a stone. Even though Edward's not here in person to listen to you… believe me when I say he is listening when we speak to him."

Alice stepped up first and squatted down patting her brother's stone with her hand. She then began tracing over the engraved letters of his name, "Hey there," she whispered. Alice glanced up at me and I nodded my head in encouragement, "Edward, I really wish I could say I remember you… but I can't. I was too young to remember you and that hurts me at times. I know I should be grieving over your death, but how can I grieve over a person I don't remember? I wish you wouldn't have died, big brother. I'm sure you were a very strong little kid since you kept the abuse hidden from dad all those years. Just know I am very proud of you… you were so brave. And I do love you, Edward, even if I can't remember you."

I heard Emmet clear his throat and let out a deep sigh before he began to speak, "So, umm, Edward, yeah I'm like Alice, I don't remember you all that much. But I do remember that day… I still can hear your screams if I have a nightmare about it. You really were a brave little boy, Edward. I don't know why Maria hated you, but she lost out on knowing a wonderful child from what I hear. She also cheated you from having a life. And for that, Eddie, I am sorry… Dad has told us stories about you. I bet you would've turned out to be some straight A, goofy dude, but I would have thought you were still wonderful because you'd have been my big brother who I would've looked up to. I wish I could've gotten to know you, Edward. And I'm sorry I don't have more memories of you. But know you're always in my heart. I love you, big brother."

I wiped away the lone tear that had trickled down my cheek at Emmett's sentiment. It was now my turn to talk to my son. I took a deep breath before beginning.

"Hey, Edward, it's been a while… I am sorry it took us nine years to come back and visit you. But life got busy. I got married again to a really nice woman named Esme Platt. She has twins who are Emmett's age. So I've got four kids now, two boys and two girls. There's a lot of screaming going on in that house with two teenage girls," I joked letting out a small chuckle. "I'm chief surgeon at Chicago Memorial Hospital. Esme's a social worker. She's saved so many children's' lives who were fortunate enough to survive their abusive parents. If only I'd listened more closely to what you tried to tell me…" _No Carlisle_, I thought to myself, there was no need for what if's. They would change nothing. "My step son Jasper reminds me of you, Edward. He's got the brains that you had. He wants to be a soldier in the army but he also wants to study law. His dreams always make me wonder what yours would have been… You were so intelligent. Would you have been a doctor, a lawyer, or a musician? I miss you, buddy. I miss you every day of my life. But I am moving on, like you asked me. Thank you for saving me, Edward. I would've missed out on the happiness in my life that I have now. Just remember, I love you, son." I placed down the bouquet of flowers we had bought at the local floral shop on the way here along with a brown teddy bear; symbolic objects that would forever remind anyone who came across Edward's grave that a child had lost his life.

I glanced at my children who were staring at the ground not meeting my eyes. Alice was wiping tears away and Emmett sniffed his back.

"Do you guys have anything else you'd like to say to your brother?" I asked them gently.

"No," they replied simultaneously.

"Okay," I swallowed. "Shall we go visit your cousins?"

I saw them nod in affirmation. I turned my attention once more to my son's grave and whispered, "Goodbye, Edward." That was the first time I had said goodbye to my son. I was finally letting him go, now that my life had moved on. I would always love Edward but I refused to let my life lessen as it wallowed in his death. Once again, with Maria dead and having this final chance to say my farewell to my son, I finally felt free.

_**A/N: Hey guys – let's try to reach 10 reviews for this chapter!!! I know you CAN do it!!!**_

_****Also, ONE chapter left!!! So this story is coming to a close, tomorrow...****_

_If you're interested in seeing these chapters come to life, then it all depends on you to make it happen. How can you make it happen????_

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

**REVIEW!**

_**(The more reviews I get… the better motivated I will be to write the next chapter!) **_


	7. Our Angel in Heaven

_*****My story has been nominated for best angst category (K-T) at the Immortal Cookie Awards. The link is here: **_www[dot]immortalcookieawards[dot]moonfruit[dot]com _*******_

_****Thank you **_Slayerette1965 _**for nominating my story!!!****_

_**A/N: Thanks for the SUPPORT guys! It meant a lot! Your REVIEWS were AWESOME!!!**_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TWILIGHT Saga. That belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

_***** WARNING: This story contains child abuse… Mild as it may be, if you cannot stomach this sort of material DO NOT read.*****_

**Chapter Seven – Our Angel in Heaven**

_**-Emmett's POV-**_

Five years ago, I married the most beautiful woman in this world. She happens to be the only woman to completely understand me. Then again, growing up together in the same household had helped with that factor. My lovely wife's name is Rosalie Lillian Hale-Cullen. We were married at nineteen, the summer after our first year at college. Eighteen months later, Rosalie gave birth to our first child. We named him partly after my late brother. We gave Jamey Edward's middle name. James Anthony Cullen was Rosie and my little miracle. At first, he was a bit of a controversy, our parents telling us we were too young to have a child and that our focus would be less on school and more on raising a kid. That didn't stop Rosie and me. When Jamey was born, I felt reborn myself. It's hard to believe, but Jamey is now three years old.

When I first held Jamey in my arms, my mind wondered off to my brother and I could come up with no excuse on why I would ever hurt my own child. Maria had been a seriously ill woman, mind wise, to be able to abuse, no murder, her own son. There was no way I could ever strike my son, as I gazed into his soft, innocent eyes.

When Jamey turned twenty months old, Rosie gave birth to our beautiful little girl. My daughter's name is Jenny Mae, she's two years old.

Jamey looks like just like me, lucky kid. He's quite the handsome little fellow with a quirky personality. Dad has told me that Edward had a quirky personality as well. I guess that's where Jamey inherited it from, it runs in the blood. Jenny, on the other hand, is the spitting image of her mother. She's absolutely beautiful. She's more reclusive, shies away from others constantly. Jenny's also got this strange fear of dirt. She can't stand to be dirty. If she has grass on her feet or there's mud on the ground, she becomes very upset and starts crying, wanting to be moved away from the dirt as quickly as possible. I can't wait until she grows out of that stage.

My son's fourth birthday is coming up next month. His birthday is June 24th. He is having a Dinosaur themed party. He absolutely adores dinosaurs. His favorite is the brontosaurus. Jenny likes the t-rex. But she's quite into princesses right now.

My father has gone back to Forks to visit Edward again. He hasn't been there since the day we visited ten years ago. But he took a flight out yesterday. Today was the 20th anniversary of Edward's death. My father felt the need to pay his respect and I honor him for that. I would've gone along as well but I couldn't get off work. But my dad can speak for me. Edward knows I love him.

I sometimes wonder who Edward would be today… God, I hate Maria! I vow on my life I will never, ever hurt my kids physically, emotionally, or sexually. If I ever did, I would want to be sent to hell immediately. I hope Maria's there burning eternally for killing my big brother.

_**-Alice's POV-**_

Wow I feel old, I'm twenty-three… Jasper and I got married two years ago, the day after my twenty-first birthday! Nine months later our son was born. Yes, Edward Benjamin Hale was a honeymoon baby. My wonderful, darling husband allowed us to name our son after my big brother. Jazz knows that I hold a special place in my heart for that little boy, so Jasper said it would be an honor to keep my brother's memory alive through our son. Eddie was eighteen months old now!

Little Edward, he's a story himself. Eddie was born two weeks early and gave Jazz and I quite a scare at his birth. He had come out with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. Fortunately it was wrapped only lightly around his neck so the doctors were able to start his lungs and he began breathing normally. When I didn't hear my baby's cry I nearly died right there. But when the nurse placed the little bundle on my chest, my heart restarted with life and I fell in love with that infant instantly.

My dad gasped and tears came to his eyes when he saw the color of my son's eyes… emerald green. They were my late brother's eyes. Dad told me a few days later, that when he held little Eddie for the first time, it brought back several painful and blissful memories he had of my dear brother Edward when he was born in 1987. I held my dad in a tight hug for a few minutes as he recollected himself. I then let him share with me the memories he was drowning in of my brother's birth and early childhood. I smiled and laughed at the memories. He then pulled out an old photo album of Edward. I remember gasping, my son was the spitting image of my brother. Sure little Eddie had parts of Jasper and me in him, but my baby definitely picked up the Cullen traits that Edward had inherited.

Now eighteen months later – If I were to hold up a picture of my brother at eighteen months next to my son's , you would guess they were twins or brothers. They are identical to one another. My son even has Edward's messy, out of control, bronze hair. My father has mentioned it seems as if Edward has been reincarnated in my son. That would be special, but eerie if I believed in reincarnation.

I really had wanted to go with my father to Forks, Washington, to tell my brother all about my son. But unfortunately, Jasper had to go out of state for a business trip so I had to stay home and watch Eddie. Dad promised me he would tell Edward about Eddie so that made me feel reassured.

I believe my brother would have been an amazing person had he had the opportunity to grow up and blossom into the person he was destined to be. My father has told me that Edward expressed much interest in the piano when he was alive as a child. Maybe Edward would have been a pianist or composer? Who knows… I just know I love him and I pray he is resting in peace.

_**-Carlisle's POV-**_

"_Daddy, you're home! I missed you, daddy!"_

_I smiled as I watched my son run towards me and jump into my awaiting arms. He was smiling brightly._

"_Hey, buddy! How was your day?"_

"_Good! I got all stars on my spelling test!"_

"_Good job, Edward. I told you you'd do well."_

"_I was the only one in my class to get all the words right."_

"_You're my smart little boy, that's why."_

"_Thanks for helping me."_

"_That's my job, bud."_

_I walked into the living room with my son in my arms and deposited him on the couch. I then leant forward and tickled him. I relished his laughter… his brilliant green eyes always lit up brightly when he laughed and his smile was blinding._

"_No, don't tickle me!" I continued to tickle him, "Stop, daddy that tickles!" After a while I stopped and allowed Edward to catch his breath._

"_Do you know what?"_

"_What daddy?" _

"_I have a secret for you."_

"_What's the secret?" His curiosity was always full of innocence and wide-eyed wonder._

"_You are the greatest little boy ever." He smiled at me. "I love you, Edward."_

"_Love you, daddy. Can we go to the park and play baseball?" My son asked eagerly._

_I grinned, "Absolutely."_

I now sat in front of my son's grave and traced my hand over it gently. Twenty years had worn the freshness out of the grave stone. It was weathered but the words carved into it still stood out clearly.

"It's been a long time hasn't, Edward? You're an uncle now. Emmett has two kids Jamey and Jenny. And Alice has a son named Eddie. I swear Eddie is you at times… its spooky how alike you two are. Alice tries not to see it, but every time I see Eddie all I see is you, Edward. I love being a grandpa, it's the second best feeling in world, next to being a father. I have no reason not to spoil the little ones now. It's my job." I laughed gently. "Myself, Emmett, and Alice; we all have a picture frame of you sitting on our fireplace mantels, to remember you… I find myself questioning who you would've been, son. You had such a good heart… I think you would've followed in my footsteps and became a doctor. You had the brains, Edward. I wonder about what kind of girl you would have married and what you would've named your babies. It's nice to wonder but it brings me down, so I try not to think about those things often. You're in my heart son, please remember that." I placed a tiny rose on my son's grave. "I love you, Edward, so much. And someday in the next thirty years or so I will see you again. This I promise you. I'm not sure the next time I'll be able to come out here and visit you. But please remember, even if I don't get a chance to make it back here that you are with me always. I love you, son." I stood up. Before I walked away from the grave, I spoke softly, "May you forever rest in peace, Edward. My little concrete angel…"

_**A/N: Hey guys – let's try to reach 70 REVIEWS for this story!!! (That's 14 reviews for this chapter). I know you CAN do it!!! **_

_****By the way, thanks to everyone who kept with me and reviewed faithfully. In the next couple of days I will PM you guys personally and thank you individually for your wonderful reviews.****_

_***Also, the story is now FINISHED ! This story has come to a close =( ***_

*****Once again, thanks to **Slayerette1965 **for** **nominating my story for the Immortal Cookie Awards for best angst (k-t). The link is once again:** www[dot]immortalcookieawards[dot]moonfruit[dot]

_You all know the drill:_

*****REVIEW, please*****

***Remember: Let's try to reach 70 REVIEWS for this story, so 14 for this final chapter PLEASE! =) ***

**Thanks,**

**~Stacey~**


	8. BLOG

Hey Everyone!

Sorry if you got psyched out thinking this was a new chapter. But I have exciting news… I have created a Blog for my stories! Right now it's under construction and I will be adding daily info about all my stories each day so KEEP UP TO DATE WITH IT!!! But right now I need you guys to help me out.

1) Go to my profile page and click on the link.

2) Add me so you can follow my blogs – I will be adding updates daily about which story I currently working on and you'll get to know which story will be receiving updates.

3) Comment on my first blog and tell me which TOP 3 stories of mine you want updated the most and completed first.

**P.S. All my story banners are on BLOG too!!!**

Thanks! See you all later tonight/tomorrow with an update of Breath of Heaven!!!

~Stacey~


	9. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

Hey Guys!

So I know most of you might have thought this was an add-on to Concrete Angel, but unfortunately it is not.

I have been MIA for several months; I realize that. But college is kicking my ass… pun intended. I'm literally on this continuous loop and have been checking out different colleges to transfer to. Penn State --- oh, dear Lord, I hate it. I want out. I'm hoping to get into The Art Institute of NYC… even if I have to attend community college for a year or a semester.

Any who - I just wanted to let you all know that I might take this down in the future. It is definitely one that could stand alone. I've always had a goal – to publish at least one story. And to be honest, if I were to publish a story, it would be in this genre: angst and tragedy. It is what I am most comfortable writing. If I changed settings and character names, this could stand alone because the story truly has nothing to do with the Twilight saga.

I just wanted to thank you all for reading it and reviewing. Every review meant a lot to me and really helped persuade me in this decision.

~AutumnDreams08~


	10. VERY IMPORTANT AN

Hey Guys!

I have some news that is going to both disappoint and anger most of my readers… I have decided to put a majority of my stories on a permanent hiatus, BUT, I am more than willing to dish out a deal here.

**DEAL OPPORTUNITY:**

I am willing to let someone, with a well known history here on this site, adopt my story(ies) and take it on themselves. I have had great ideas for the stories I published, but unfortunately school calls, and I just can't find the time to continue. I sincerely apologize for that. It breaks my heart not being able to finish them myself.

**Rules for deal:**

Message me and explain to me why you want to adopt my story.

Give me a semi-detailed **outline** for the direction you want to take my story.

You MUST explain to me what the ending will be. Because I would like my original outlook to be intertwined into it in some way.

You MUST be willing to let me pre-read each chapter before publishing it.

You MUST be willing to take my advice and be willing to put in an idea of what I want in the chapter should I ask for or suggest it.

You just MUST be willing to work with me. We'll become friends on here. =D

**STORIES up for ADOPTION:**

*Before The Storm

*Stepping Stones

*Waterfalls

*Soldier's Strife

*Sounds Like Life

*Trust Beyond The Sky

*Forever Changed

**IDEAS for stories up for ADOPTION (Summaries on my profile):**

*Brothers

*He's My Life

*Believing In Faith

*One Child

*Shattered Lives

*Just A Dream

*Up In Smoke

*The Aspiring Flower

*Sailing

**I once again, just want to apologize for disappointing my dearest readers. But the stories I will continue working on when I have time, that's going to have to be summer though, are:**

**MY STORIES (being continued/or completed):**

*Breath of Heaven

*Somebody's Miracle

*Little Moments

*Concrete Angel

*Heaven's Gate

*Angel Gracey

*Somebody Said A Prayer

*Slipped Away

*Touchdown

**WARNING!!! --**** SHOULD I DISCOVER ****ANY**** OF MY CURRENT PUBLISHED STORIES OR STORY IDEAS PUBLISHED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, I WILL REPORT YOU! THAT'S PLAGERISM… NOTHING TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.**

**Anyway, I hope we can all work something out!**

**Thanks for your complete understanding. Feel free to message me with any questions, concerns, or requests for adoption…**

**Best Wishes!  
~AutumnDreams08~**


End file.
